Oerbos
Catalog #: NV6381
Release Date: April 8, 2022
21st CenturyOrchestralSolo InstrumentalOrchestraPianoA primeval forest, unaltered by man and teeming with natural greens and ancient oaks, and its power struggle between chaos and order is unearthed in OERBOS from composer Peter Greve. His third volume of all original compositions, the composer offers a wide variety of works for solo, chamber, choral, and orchestral performers, along with a riveting narrative of forest life in the album's titular symphonic poem. Join the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava as they guide you through a turbulent passage of music, beginning with a calm sunrise and ending with an ode to the unity of mankind and nature, a celebratory movement after a ravaging storm.
Of Time & Place
Catalog #: NV6162
Release Date: June 8, 2018
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalPianoPiano TrioString QuartetComposer Monica Houghton has a musical and academic resume that is made even more exceptional by her experiences as a true citizen of the world. Her travels around the globe have led her to incorporate non-Western instruments and musical practices into several of her compositions as well as to find inspiration trekking through Peru, or by exploring the remote and desolate areas of the American West. On CHAMBER WORKS, her debut on Navona Records, Houghton incorporates these influences along with many others to deliver eight stunning performances showcased in a variety of musical configurations.
Orígenes
Catalog #: NV6570
Release Date: November 3, 2023
21st CenturySolo InstrumentalGuitarComposer-performer Giovanni Piacentini’s ORÍGENES is an exploration of the spirit of the Americas through the guitar. Spanish colonizers introduced string instruments like guitars and vihuelas when they arrived in America, which in turn gave rise to a series of indigenous instruments across the continent such as the Colombian tiple, the Mexican jarana, and the Panamanian mejoranera, to name a few. This blending of American and European cultures is at the heart of ORÍGENES. Drawing on the contributions of legendary guitar composers like Manuel M. Ponce, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Astor Piazzolla, Piacentini’s ORÍGENES contributes a fresh perspective to this musical legacy.
Paper Clips
Catalog #: NV5879
Release Date: August 1, 2012
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalTromboneFor too long the trombone has been ignored as a central instrument in contemporary music. On PAPER CLIPS, trombonist Andy Malloy proves the instrument's capabilities of being a driving force and, along with pianist Karolina Rojahn, its collaborative appeal. An unabashed champion for the trombone, Malloy commissioned each work on this album specifically to expand the often overlooked instrument's repertoire.
Parts to Play
Catalog #: NV6165
Release Date: June 8, 2018
20th Century21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalPianoViolinOn PARTS TO PLAY, critically acclaimed violinist Moonkyung Lee turns from the symphonic environment of the critically lauded label debut, TCHAIKOVSKY, on which she performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, to a more intimate setting, with only pianist Martha Locker as her partner on a selection of works that include both stunning solo performances and intricate yet simple duets.
Patterns
Catalog #: NV6243
Release Date: August 9, 2019
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalCelloGuitarPercussionPATTERNS, a multi-composer compilation of contemporary chamber music, accentuates the richness, intricacy, and minimal sound that can be found in works written for small ensembles. Included on the album are works by seven composers, each offering a distinct interpretation of what defines the genre.
Pendulum
Catalog #: NV5963
Release Date: August 1, 2014
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalFlutePianoViolinThe 28th edition of the Society of Composers, Inc. release series and the 4th on Navona Records, PENDULUM extrapolates and elaborates on several themes relating to variation, transformation, repetition, and more.
Personae
Catalog #: NV6016
Release Date: January 8, 2016
RomanticSolo InstrumentalPianoOn her Navona Records release PERSONAE, pianist Beth Levin presents works from Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), Anders Eliasson (1947-2013), and Robert Schumann (1810-1856) that highlight each composer’s unique voice and style. Praised by Jeremy Eichler of the New York Times for her “boldly inflected readings and impressive ability to convey emotion without exhibition,” Levin animates the personalities of each composer with aplomb, passion, and elegance.
Pianista
Catalog #: NV6503
Release Date: March 10, 2023
21st CenturySolo InstrumentalPianoAllison Brewster Franzetti makes a charming return with PIANISTA, a new collection of recordings that the artist herself describes as a “rich musical tapestry.” Centered around Carlos Franzetti’s Minotaur in the Labyrinth suite, and supplemented with works by Kapustin and Salgán, PIANISTA colors itself in Franzetti’s signature style, a combination of jazz and tango alongside an always enticing homage to Argentinian sound, both folk and urban. These elements come together to drape PIANISTA in playful rhythms, warm harmonies, and the certain éclat only the pianista herself can deliver.
Piano Fantasies
Catalog #: NV6379
Release Date: October 22, 2021
BaroqueClassicalSolo InstrumentalPianoNo other musical form allows the composer as much liberty as the musical fantasy, or fantasia. Ukrainian-born pianist Pavel Gintov iconoclastically blends emotion and reason in his selection of PIANO FANTASIES ranging from the Baroque through to the late Romantic era.
Piano Sonata #4
Catalog #: NV6585
Release Date: December 1, 2023
21st CenturySolo InstrumentalPianoNavona Records is proud to present PIANO SONATA #4, a solo piano work by composer Eric Price fusing 19th and 20th Century elements with authentic touches of personal compositional style. Performed by the critically-acclaimed pianist Anna Kislitsyna, this piece stays true to the long standing traditions of the form, amplified with Price’s unique cascading lines that resolve in savory moments of authentic beauty. From highly technical displays of pianistic and compositional prowess to triumphant passages and more, Piano Sonata No. 4 offers an enticing look at Price’s musical footprint and Kislitsyna’s stunning interpretation.
Piano Spectrums
Catalog #: NV6413
Release Date: April 8, 2022
21st CenturySolo InstrumentalPianoAcclaimed pianist Anna Kislitsyna stuns on PIANO SPECTRUMS, a profoundly emotive selection of aesthetic contemporary pieces – and a world-class interpretation ranging from tender filigree to unbridled, seething virtuosity. Ten contemporary composers share their works on this album with an eclectic program, both in terms of styles and subject matters. All the more outstanding, then, is how Kislitsyna scintillates with her wonderful, singing touch and musical sensitivity, effortlessly unifying ten unique voices into an album that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Piano Works by Sara Feigin
Catalog #: NV6147
Release Date: March 9, 2018
20th CenturySolo InstrumentalPianoThis latest record from Navona Records is a treasure trove of piano music by the late composer and pianist Sarah Feigin. Led by Carmela O’Flaherty, the composer’s daughter, the project consists nearly entirely of previously unperformed and unrecorded works for piano. Pianist Benjamin Goodman masterfully interprets her vibrant, virtuosic music.
Piatti 12 Caprices For Solo Cello
Catalog #: NV5972
Release Date: October 14, 2014
RomanticSolo InstrumentalCelloA renowned cellist in his own time, Carlo Alfredo Piatti (1822-1901) is known for composing his 12 Caprices, a set recognized for its technical difficulty and complexity, and widely used as developmental exercises for cellists. On his debut Navona Records release, PIATTI: 12 CAPRICES FOR SOLO CELLO, Venezuelan/American cellist Carmine Miranda interprets Piatti's virtuosic solo cello pieces, masterfully showing them as works that withstand treatment as significant concert repertoire.
Pieces From A Distant Land
Catalog #: NV6594
Release Date: January 5, 2024
21st CenturySolo InstrumentalPianoPeter Dickson Lopez returns to Navona Records with his first solo release; PIECES FROM A DISTANT LAND, a touching solo piano memoriam to his late mother, who had once requested piano pieces for herself to play at church. A touching and emotionally prolific piece given a loving performance by Anna Kislitsyna, Lopez — an ever-experimental composer — channels the “Distant Land” of tonal music familiar to his childhood self and compositional roots, while still honoring the special and often haunting sound so intimate to his musical oeuvre. Those with an ear for the sonically experimental will instantly recognize Lopez’s salient touches while being treated to an especially graceful and compassionate tribute to the happy, hazy days of childhood, and the warm music that so often accompanies them.
Pinnacle Vol. 2
Catalog #: NV6368
Release Date: September 24, 2021
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalClarinetPianoString QuartetNavona Records presents PINNACLE VOL. 2, a collection of contemporary chamber works by composers John A. Carollo, Edmund Cionek, Sarah Wallin Huff, Santiago Kodela, Adnan Marafi, Amintas Silva, Joseph T. Spaniola, and Kong-Yu Wong, that highlight the melodic, emotive, and dramatic styles offered by today’s chamber music. Throughout the album, the composers explore the cyclicity of life and nature.
Rachmaninoff
Catalog #: NV6582
Release Date: November 3, 2023
20th CenturyRomanticSolo InstrumentalPianoPianist Ian Gindes presents a captivating elucidation of Sergei Rachmaninoff's solo piano works on RACHMANINOFF, a new album of discerning artistry. With meticulous care and interpretive insight, Gindes navigates the rich tapestry of Rachmaninoff's compositions, peeling back the layers on their emotional depth and their technical intricacies. The Russian-American composer's signature confluence of opulent chromatic harmonies and classically informed structures is imbued with zest under Gindes' adept touch. Gindes finds an astute balance of lyricism and virtuosity, while his intuitive phrasing enhances the inherent narrative of each of the Preludes and Études-Tableaux. The album is rounded off by a fitting tribute, composed by Jerry Goldsmith and arranged by Jed Distler, honoring Rachmaninoff's influence on Hollywood and jazz.
Rational Passions
Catalog #: NV5960
Release Date: July 1, 2014
21st CenturyChamberSolo InstrumentalPianoPiano TrioString QuartetRATIONAL PASSIONS, Greg Bowers' debut release on Navona Records, takes its listeners on a trip through the psychological world of music. Each piece explores the relationship between the notes played and the emotions experienced, suggesting that emotional meaning can be rationalized.
Ravel Compared
Catalog #: NV6401
Release Date: April 1, 2022
20th CenturyRomanticSolo InstrumentalPianoAcclaimed pianist Elaine Greenfield dazzles with originality, virtuosity and exuberant tone richness on her album RAVEL COMPARED on Navona Records. The French composer's works are brilliantly analyzed and brought to novel clarity with Greenfield's ingenious idea of recording the same repertoire twice, on two very different pianos – and juxtaposing them on this two-disc album. The first disc presents Ravel's music on an 1893 Erard from Paris, the same make and model as the composer's personal piano, from which Greenfield coaxes a mellow, full-bodied tone with an almost liquid quality. This rendition is contrasted with a second on an American Ivers & Pond parlor concert grand from 1917, brightly highlighting Ravel's idiosyncratic harmonies with modern, almost contemporary exactitude. Put together, RAVEL COMPARED palpably illustrates the depth of both Greenfield's skill as a performer as well as Ravel's aptitude as a composer – as lively and vivid as perhaps never before.
Reflets
Catalog #: NV6164
Release Date: June 8, 2018
20th CenturySolo InstrumentalPianoWith two critically-lauded releases on Navona Records (NOTTURNO, performing works by Chopin, and a four-CD box set, BEETHOVEN – 8 CONCERTI) pianist Eliane Rodrigues returns with REFLETS showcasing the pianist’s nuanced and thoughtful performances of fifteen works by Claude Debussy. While it might seem that child prodigies are commonplace in the world of classical music, only a few truly make a lasting impact, one that lives on long after those prodigies have passed well into their adulthoods. Mozart began to play piano at the age of three, Beethoven did so at seven and a half, and Georges Bizet did so before his tenth birthday. Pianist Eliane Rodrigues, who began composing at three, played her first recital at five and first performed with an orchestra when she was just six years of age, can certainly be counted among those prodigious musicians, as evidenced on her latest recording, REFLETS.